MARION COUNTY — A 31-year-old Centralia man is back in custody in connection with a drug bust by the Centralia Police Department last summer — but this time he’s facing a federal indictment.

Carlos Scott
(Source: MCSO)

Carlos Scott was initially arrested July 1, 2020, on a Marion County charge of Class X felony distribution of between 100 and 400 grams of methamphetamine.

According to the Centralia Police Department, investigators acting on drug intelligence information determined that three separate shipments of a suspicious nature were scheduled to arrive in Centralia over the course of three separate days.

Officers intercepted the first package and a police K-9 unit from the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department assisted and gave a positive alert for the presence of drugs.

A search warrant for the package was obtained and a search of the package revealed what appeared to be a factory packaged television set.

Upon closer inspection, it was found that all the internal parts of the television had been removed and a large amount of drugs was hidden inside of the reassembled television.

Investigators removed most of the drugs only leaving a small quantity inside. Investigators then, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspectors office, equipped the package with an electronic remote alarm device that would indicate if the package was open.

Authorities said at the time that it was the largest drug seizure in the history of the area.

A month after his arrest, Scott posted $30,000 cash bond and was released from the Marion County Jail He appeared in Marion County Court Tuesday for a pre-trial hearing in the case.

However, a federal warrant had been issued for his arrest on April 6 on a grand jury indictment charging him with one count of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

He remains in the Marion County Jail in federal custody pending a court hearing in the federal courthouse in Benton.